You Must Suffer To Be Glorified

Romans 8 is a gloriously rich chapter of the Bible that should fill the mind of every believer. But gloriously rich doesn’t mean easily swallowed. Such is the case with verse 16-17.

Romans 8:16-17 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

This verse pairs one of the highest glories with the hardest realities. The indwelling Spirit confirms our status as adopted children. And not just children, but children with full inheritance. But there is one qualifier put on this whole truth indicated by the word “If.” If we suffer with Him, then and only then, will we participate in the full glory of the inheritance as sons.

So what suffering is a necessary mark of being a true son of God? This has to be something definitive for one key reason: everyone suffers. What good is it to have this qualifying feature if it is something everyone experiences? This means we can immediately rule out the suffering which comes to all people because we live in a fallen world. Sin has broken everything and that brokenness touches all of us to one degree or another. This is not the suffering unique to children of God. Instead, there is a specific kind of suffering that designates who will one day be glorified.

Before we think about what this suffering is, I want to highlight one important detail. Notice the qualifier is paired with the work of the Spirit. You would think it would be enough to speak about the confirmation from the Spirit. If you have the Spirit’s testimony of sonship, then it is a sealed deal. Despite this, only a handful of words later we find the qualifier, “if.” Is the Spirit’s testimony not sufficient? What can we say about this? What we can say is this is not unusual, biblically speaking. Numerous other places in Scripture we find the writers addressing their readers as Christians, and then throwing in these qualifying statements. You can find a sampling of this in 1 Corinthians 15:1-2; 2 Corinthians 13:5; Colossians 1:22-23; Hebrews 4:1.

These, then, can be seen as the subjective testimony and the objective testimony. The subjective testimony is the active presence of the Spirit’s work in a person’s life. But no one else can see this and evaluate it. And fearfully, this is something a person can claim, and yet be self-deceived or misinformed about what the Spirit’s testimony really is. The objective testimony is the suffering all can witness in a person. This is just as much a confirmation as the subjective testimony of the Spirit. They are like a tag-team, a tandem set of witnesses speaking at the same time and are both necessary.

So what suffering is there that is unique to children of God? Chastisement from God certainly could be a possibility. In fact, in Hebrews 12 it is clearly something for God’s children only. But, as in many cases, the context of the surrounding verses come to the interpretative rescue. Paul has something specific in mind that he touched upon a few verses previously.

Romans 8:12–14 So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to li     according to the flesh— 13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

Notice in verses 13 and 14 that we have the same key features being mentioned, the Spirit and the sons of God. The important part when answering our question comes in the second half of verse 13, “if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body…” This is suffering. When you are putting to death the deeds of the body you are doing something painful, humiliating, and difficult. You are reversing habits, dealing with consequences, and making restitution. All of this is uncomfortable. But it is also Spirit-empowered. It is happening because the Spirit of God is at work and you are compelled with new desires, new loves and new commitments. This is the fruit of repentance. It is the godly sorrow that produces vindication, indignation, fear, longing, zeal, and avenging of wrong (2 Cor. 7:11).

When this painful reality is present in someone, it becomes objectively clear the Spirit is leading them. This is explicitly what verse 14 says. “All who are being led by the Spirit, these are sons of God.” How is the Spirit leading them? He is leading them into sin-killing, with all its eye-gouging, hand-amputating types of mortification. It is not mildly painful, but it is Spirit-led.

So the question for you and me is obvious. Are you suffering the pain of sin-removal by the power of the Spirit? Pulling sin up by its roots will feel like tooth removal without Novocain. There is only one type of person who will do this: a child of God. So evaluate yourself, tremble before the Word of God, and cast yourself before the Spirit who will do his life-giving work.